Friday, July 30, 2010

This dress just made my jaw drop. It's positively stunning. Inspired by the Byzantine empire and insect wings, among other things, South American-born and Belgium-based fashion grad Donovan Tjon creates a dark fashion fairytale that I'd like to be a part of. I don't even mind that the insect wing detailing reminds me of the unsettling plague of mosquitoes we're experiencing right now...

Click here to see more looks from Donovan's runway show. I would post them, but I'm a little hung up on this dress right now. And am a wee bit too busy scratching bites to keep typing...

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Sigh. This dress by Polish-born, Denmark-based/-educated (and soon to be Scotland-based/-educated) designer Jacob Birge reminds me of the most awesome dress I tried on years ago at my once favorite store. It looked really really good on and was on sale, but I was convinced that it was cooler than me and was meant for ravers, so I didn't buy it. I had completely forgotten about it until now. Thanks Jacob. Ah well, it wouldn't fit me anymore now anyway. Moving on, I think Carrie Bradshaw would look fabulous in it (I'm thinking of her in that McQueen dress). I'd definitely snatch one of these wonders up if they were in my size (yes, even in pink - it's just that kind of dress)...

Photo: Carla (drummer of Autolux) shattered her elbow after falling off the stage opening for Elvis Costello, and I JUST found a really awesome picture of the 8 titanium screws she has in it.

All I want for Christmas is for Autolux to release a follow-up to the 2004 Future Perfect. Also, does anyone know how to get in touch with Carla Azar? I want to make her dresses! God, I love this band.

***

This Corner is brought to you by Lauren Jones of mydearthing. And yes, you read right, this is Lauren's Christmas wish. Truth is, this Corner got stuffed in...umm...the corner, and it wasn't allowed to come out until now. So Happy Christmas in July Lauren! ...or August - Autolux's new album Transit Transit is out this Tuesday, but you can hear it here. Just a hint, it sounds even better whilst wearing this.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

The thing I love about these new pieces from Amanda deLeon is that I love them without really knowing why. Perhaps it's because they're photographed poolside. Perhaps it's the unexpected and very bold details that turn a simple shape into something special. Perhaps it's that hidden turquoise silk lining that surely gives the wearer super powers from just putting the garment on (...or at least a smile). Perhaps it's because of those cotton candy wigs. Perhaps it's because these one of a kind items would actually fit me. Perhaps it's because Amanda will replace the yellow leather with a synthetic material for those who would wish (like me). And perhaps it's because this dress is called 'Black Metal'...

Ah, I'm easy to please. Though something needs to keep me going until Season 4 of Tim Riggins is out...

Sunday, July 25, 2010

The following has got to be one of the most brilliant ideas I've heard in a long time, which I found via Ecouterre. This isn't the normal fare found on Ecouterre though, as this particular label is not about sustainable fashion, just sustainable...life. First though, let me preface this by saying that I've never donated blood. Needles, quite frankly, scare me more than your average boogie man. I've been deathly afraid of them since the time my mom said getting my immunization shot wouldn't hurt, and then I couldn't move my arm for an entire week (and I got a blood stain on my favorite Fuddruckers tee). And yes, I have a giant tattoo, but that's somehow entirely different. However, my place of employment is the organization in my country that collects, processes, and distributes donated blood. So I'm hoping being a part of the blood donor program in that way earns me enough karma points to make up for my selfish squeamishness...

So, why am I talking about needles and blood? Well, the brilliant idea I mentioned goes by the name of The Red Rail, which is a clothing label based in the Netherlands formed by a collective of independent Dutch designers. However, this label doesn't really sell their clothing. Instead, in order to 'purchase' a Red Rail piece, you have to donate blood. The first collection, featuring 20 (amazing!) outfits from 18 designers was just shown on Friday at Amsterdam International Fashion Week, as seen in the photos above (from Peter Stigter). The runway show was the first peek that potential blood donors had of The Red Rail collection, and photos (and the respective designer's CV) are now posted on the Red Rail website. So the deal is, after a potential 'customer' has donated blood, they can email Red Rail with their donor number and indicate the piece that they would like to 'purchase'. As the point of the project is to increase the number of blood donors as much as possible, the pieces will be 'sold' via a lottery system, so a donor's email counts as an entry into a draw for each respective piece in the collection. I for one would be emailing The Red Rail pronto to see if multiple donations meant I could have multiple entries, as there are quite a few bloody good pieces in the collection (go ahead and groan). And, as you're able to donate blood every 56 days, you could get in a nice number of entries in the next 6 months that the lottery is open (the lucky 'winners' won't be drawn until January). But, alas, I am not Dutch. I think that everyone in the Netherlands should definitely get involved in this, as blood is always needed. And, if you don't want any of the pieces for some crazy reason, I would be happy to provide my address (I'm partial to the vest piece below by Ivona Batuta, and the delightful jeans with suspenders and capillary print tee by Ester van kempen...and that delightful dress and neckpiece by AA[blank]label above at the bottom left).

As for the rest of us, I'd love to see a similar project happen in our own countries. Would you donate blood to save up to three lives...and to get some fantastic clothing?

Go to The Red Rail website here, and email theredrail@stichtingnobel.nl to get involved and/or for more information.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

For those of you around Munich, starting today is a special 3-week long pop-up shop featuring pieces from one of my favorite design grads, Wolfgang Jarnach. There something for both men and women, and all the clothing is of course handmade in Germany. Does someone want to pick something up for me? Please? Here's the address in case my plea (and your fashion sensibilities) interests you:

Possibly the highlight of last weekend's destination wedding was meeting one of the most interesting couples that this world holds. Before we said goodbye, we did a little data transfer and inherited some new to us music. Since then, Nicolas Repac's Swing Swing has become both my and my man's favorite album. This is a song from it, which showcases the electronica/nu-jazz/French pop classification of Monsieur Repac's music. (Terrie, you'll be getting the full treatment next week...)

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Thank you so much for making blogging easy. Even after that lovely video, I was not prepared for these exceptional campaign and lookbook photos by Mark Viszlay. They have truly put a wide smile on my face, in part because they have transported me back to one of my most favorite places on earth. They have also confirmed your newest collection as my favorite of the season. I will do my best to fly out to Budapest as early as possible in order to see such beauty in person.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Ooo, I just had a proud moment. And by 'just', I mean before I rushed off after changing out of my scrubs to go see Cyrus, which was rather funny and lovely at the same time. Anywho, Konrad Parol was interviewed by Dazed Digital and had his A/W 10 REBELS collection shot by photographer Kasia Bobula, resulting in some fantastic photos. According to Konrad, if there are enough hits on his article, there's a chance that it'll go to print, so please click here. While I'm quite partial to our little kOs interview, it's amazing to see my Polish friend on Dazed Digital - and I'd love even more to get to buy a copy to have and to hold. Congrats Konrad!

I'm rather late on my way out to work (I'm still on holiday time), so I thought I'd just quickly copy and paste the latest mono newsletter here. There's a 20% off discount code (there's some new mono pieces in the monoshop!), a couple of great opportunities if you live in the Vancouver area, and a little link to somewhere you might recognize. Oh, and don't forget about the Super Saletime Monoshop on Etsy. I sure haven't...

MONOSHOP : PROVISIONAL

MONOSHOP : PROVISIONAL IS A SUCCESSION OF FLEETING SHOPS EXCLUSIVELY FEATURING THE LATEST MONO SERIES AND PROJECTS. FIND THE FIRST MONOSHOP : PROVISIONAL IN VANCOUVER THIS AUGUST.

PRESS

HOBO MAGAZINE

LOOK OUT FOR MONO IN THE LATEST ISSUE OF HOBO MAGAZINE, FEATURING DANDI WIND OPAINE OF FAN DEATH. PHOTOS BY SHAWN DOGIMONT.

"I'M NOT SURE WHAT TO SAY TO INTRODUCE MY INTERVIEW WITH HEATHER MARTIN OF MONO. HER WORK CLEARLY SPEAKS FOR ITSELF, AND TO BE IN THE SAME ROOM WITH ONE OF HER PIECES IS QUITE AN EXPERIENCE. HEATHER IS A MULTI-TALENTED WOMAN, TEACHER, ARTIST, AND DESIGNER, WHOSE CREATIVITY SEEMS RATHER BOUNDLESS. I AM DELIGHTED TO PRESENT JUST A FRACTION OF THAT CREATIVITY HERE..."

LIGHT DIFFUSES. A FRAYED WEB SUSPENDS WITHIN A DELICATE HAZE. AN ETHEREAL MIST REFLECTS A PALE, MUTED SPECTRUM. FLIGHT EXPLORES THE DIAPHANOUS PLANE WHERE THE ASTRAL BODY DEPARTS FROM THE PHYSICAL FORM IN A TRANSLUCENT VAPOR.

FLIGHT IS THE RESTORATION OF LIGHTNESS & CALM.

FIND FLIGHT AT THE MONOSHOP AND ENTER "MONOSHOPMONO" TO RECEIVE 20% OFF.

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JOIN US AT COLLAGE COLLAGE AND LEARN HOW TO MAKE A KITE WITH HEATHER. CALL ERIN AT 604.569.1929 TO REGISTER. JULY 24, 2010 3PM-5PM @ 621 KINGSWAY (at 15TH + FRASER ST.) VANCOUVER, BC V5T 3K5.

SALE MERCHANDISE

LOOKING FOR ALL THAT GREAT MERCHANDISE FROM THE LAST SERIES....CHECK OUT THE SUPER SALETIME MONOSHOP ON ETSY FOR GREAT DEALS ON MONO STOCK

Monday, July 19, 2010

While I was away, the delightful Dori Tomcsanyi sent me this video which features her S/S 10 collection, along with some looks from Agi Szabo. I quite love this wee film, as I love to see how pieces from one collection can work together, and how they can be styled on both sexes. Also, I aspire to dress this quickly every day. For this collection, Dori was inspired by optical illusions and used solely organic materials. My particular favorites are all the unisex high-waisted/paper-bag pants, and the jackets with the removable wooden collar (charmingly called the Woodini, at 0:23, or an asymmetrical version called the Fletwood at 0:38). Though I've been biased by my new heroes/favorite people towards moving to Switzerland, Hungary is definitely in the running for Where I Need to Live, as that is where I can get my hands on Dori's designs (at the k e p p showroom). Hmm...

This is the archive of kOs, where you'll find all of the old kOs posts in their original habitat. Any new posts as of August 2013 are now at musingsofbuffyleigh.wordpress.com and on Twitter @buffyleigh. See you there!

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My wee lil disclaimer

Most of these photos are not my own. Unless specifically stated, the pictures posted are used only for my personal commentary and not for commercial reasons. I do not get compensated for blogging about these photos and the pieces contained within - I simply want to share the viewing experience with you. And my wearing experience, in the very likely event that I give in to temptation and buy them for myself.